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Collins attended high school at Worcester Technical High School in Worcester, Massachusetts which compiled a record of 91–5 during his four years there.[1] Collins was overlooked by baseball scouts because of his size, standing at only 5'7".[1] His senior year, Collins threw a no-hitter against Auburn High School in the district championship game.[2]

On March 31, 2011, Collins made his Major League debut against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, pitching one inning. He did not allow a run and struck out Torii Hunter for his first MLB strikeout. Three days later, he earned his first MLB victory by pitching three scoreless innings against the Angels in extra innings, striking out five. He currently is part of the Kansas City Royals bullpen as a relief pitcher. On August 14, 2012 he set the Royals single season strikeout record for a left handed reliever. Collins finished the 2012 season with 93 strikeouts, second place among all Major League left-handed relievers behind the Reds Aroldis Chapman.[11] Overall in 2012 Collins pitched 692⁄3 innings with an ERA of 3.36 and a record of 5-4.[11] On March 11, 2015, Collins underwent Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the entire season.[12][13]

Despite his small size, Collins garners good speed on his four-seam fastball (averaging 93–94 mph, tops out at 97 mph). He also features two effective off-speed pitches, a curveball at 74–77 mph and a changeup at 83–85 mph. The curve is his most common pitch when ahead in the count, and is a frequent offering with 2 strikes. His changeup is typically used earlier in the count and is mostly thrown to right-handed hitters. All three pitches have above-average whiff rates (including 51% for the changeup),[14] leading to a high strikeout rate.